3 Tips for Easy, Seamless Software Localization

The following are some useful snippets from a webinar on The Basics of Software Localization that will be presented on Thursday, May 13th, 2010 at noon ET / 9am PT by Acclaro's own Jon Ritzdorf.

Software localization is more than just a seven syllable term; it's a complex, important process you need to go through to make your software useful in new language markets.

And working with all the different resource formats, linguistic construction of strings, and user interfaces can be mind-boggling. Luckily, there are few things you can do to help — not hinder — the translation process.

Continue reading for three simple but helpful tips to simplify the software localization process.

1. Avoid Concatenation. When you combine two or more text strings at runtime to form a single string, you are concatenating. Some questions to ponder: What order do the strings appear at runtime? Are they switched around? And, especially: Do they combine with other strings that aren't here?
2. Provide Contextual Comments. If you have an ambiguous string, add comments so that the programmer can understand the runtime context. Better to overcommunicate than not communicate at all, which could lead to a larger misunderstanding.
3. Break Up Variables. If there are more than two variables in your string, try deconstructing them. Simplify the language, create multiple strings, and don't forget to use colons liberally...

*Extra tip: Runtime variables should represent numbers, file paths, or other constants — not verbs or adjectives. (Save those for your secret poetic musings.)

Ready, willing, and able to discover more best practices for software localization? Sign up now for the webinar.

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